MR COSTER AT HEATHCOTE VALLEY.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5880, 18 July 1884, Page 2

MR COSTER AT HEATHCOTE VALLEY.

Mr J. L. Coster addressed the Heathcol electors last night at the Valley Schoo room. There was a large attendance, tl room being filled. Mr E. Martindale occi pied the chair, and bespoke a patient hea ing for the candidate. Mr Costbb, who was warmly received c rising, said that he bespoke their indu gence, aa he was suffering from a seyei cold. He then proceeded, mainly on ti lines of his -address the other evening t Woolston. He trusted that his qualific: tions were such as to enable him wit confidence to ask the support of the el© tors, and that they would elect him as the representative. He would refer first to tt state of the colony. They found then selves in a state of depression he was vei sorry to say, but in the few words he ha addressed to them on Tuesday evening, I bad urged upon them to be hopeful for tt future. It was therefore,ie said, the dul of all, be they large or small, to put the ehoulders to the wheel. [Cheers .J The had had bad seasons, and what affected tt farmers affected all, and their bountifi harvest had unfortunately been spoilt. B sides this, they had low prices for thei produce, and they had also to combat d pression in the great markets of the worL Although the state of the colony was d< pressed, he did not think that it wa3 goin to remain so. Now, as to another cause < thedepreesion, he held, the opinion that was mainly due to the bad generalahi and bad po.icy of the present Governmen [Cheers.] He thought the time had con , when they wanted a change of policy ax Government. ft-heers.J They wanted i more immigration, but the settlement < the people on the lands of the country 1 develepe their industries. Then tht would once more see smiling faces, ax when they had this, and the tide of succei had turned once more, they would soon fir the people coming to their country[cheersj — people with money in the pockets. (.Cheers.J There was no doul that they wanted production. Aa to tax; tion, he was afraid that they would have 1 bear some more yet until they got out « their difficulties. [Cheers.] But wM imposing their taxation they must be car ful not to carry it too fat by unduly ii creasing the Civil servants. Not that! wanted to see the Civil eervants underpaid bit let them do their work and be paid f< it. If the West Coast railway were mad for which he would do hia best, there won] be ample employment for labor. [A You —" It will be imported."j Well, if this w« bo they would be co busy here that lab< would have to fee imported. If this was a then it would mean that the people of ti colony were fully employed. [Cheers He would do all he could to f urtaer tl West Coast railway. [A Yo cc—'• By syndicate/*] Well, it did not matter ho it was -made j what he said to them was do it. [Cheers ] As regarded educatici he was strongly in favor of it being f«

and secular, bo he need not enlarge on that point. [Cheers.J Hewasinfavorof a limited amount of protection for the encouragement of local industries. The countrydemanded it, and they must have; it. [Cheers.] He was not a cre&fcer, and he believed that the outlook wasflfliot as bad £s they might expect. They had a good man, who had shown himself; \tiat - was > Sic Julius Vogel. There; were plenty of goodmen coming forward as candidates, and he refused to believe that the men. who had: held the reins: of Government so long >ere the only persons able conduct the business of the country. fCheers.] There was no question that Sir Julius Vogel was a ! man of ability and resources." [Oheers.l He was one of the men to whom he had referred as having ability. Before sitting down he wished to draw attention to a fact effecting the interests of the colony. His friend Mr Bichardson had reminded him that that day twenty-three years ago the first sod of the Lyttelton and Christchurch railway waa turned, which was a very interesting fact. ("Cheere.J In answer to questions Mr Coster said that what he meant by a tax combined with an income tax was that a land tax should be combined with it. Generally he had said that he would oppose the payment of members, speaking from his personal feelinge. He was not prepared to believe lhat railway servants worked seventeen hours per day without extra pay. If ho remedy existed for this they could easily get one. Cheers.] He was certainly not the nominee of any Bank or Company in New Zealand. With regard to what had been stated as to the conduct of his supporters at Mr Wynn Williams' first meeting, he had stated at the nomination that he had made enquiries and was satisfied that there was no truth in the assertions. [Che* rs.J He had not yet made up his mind as to the election or otherwise of Legislative Councillors. With regard to the opening up of the Malvern Hills coal mines by the completion of the lines, he was in favor of all being done to develop the mineral resources of the colony, as it was of the utmost importance to all that this should be done, and he would strongly urge-it if elected. [Cheers.] He could not say whether 15 per cent, duties should be imposed on imported goods to protect local industries, but he was in favor of protection to a limited extent for the purpose. [Cheers.] With regard to the putting, ot names on his requisition from the Valley, he was nol aware that any had been put on without permission. Mr Pbbkins said that his name had been put on without his permission. Another gentleman stated that i£ was by a mistake that the name of Mr Perkins was put on the requisition, and it was withdrawn. Mr A. M. Olllvike explained that the requisition did not pledge any one signing it to vote for Mr Coster. Mr Coetxb said he was not prepared to discuss the question of a National Bank cf Issue, nor whether it would be for the public interest to divide the public account between the various Banks, instead of keeping it at the Bank of New Zealand. [Cheers.] He was in favor of a fair day's wage for a fair day's labor. He was afraid that there would be no present repeal of the property tax, but that they would have to add a land and income tax also. He would be in favor of a land and income tax. He was not in favor of manhoot suffrage pure and simple, but he would make the franchise as free as possible. t Cheers.] He would be in favor ef the toard of Governors being elective, and the secondary education thrown open to .the children of the working classes. He could not say, without further consideration, that he would be in favor of a tax on wool. The growers of wo* had not a rosy time of it he conic assure them. He was not in favor of the federation of the colonies, as proposed so far as New Zealand was concerned [Cheers.l He was in favor of a non-poli-tical Board for the railways, and of differential rates, as he thought the hard an< fast rule which had been the system had played the misehitf with the couatry. [Cheers.] ,»,.,, Mr Maesden moved a vote of thanks an( confidence to Mr Coster, which was seconded by Mr Pbenhebgast. Mr Hopkins moved as an amendment that a vote of thanks only should be carried—[' r No, no "] —and proposed to read a portion of Mr Coster's spe*ch at Woolston. The Chaieman declined to allow Mr Hopkins to xead the paragraph. He was not in order. • Mr Hopkins then desisted, and simply put the amendment which was seconded. The amendment was then put, and fourteen hands were held up for it, and a large majority against it. The resolution was then put and declared to be carried, amid cheers for Jar Coster, and counter cheers. . A vote of thanks to thfi J^hairman_clOßed